The present invention generally relates to casino or cardroom gaming involving a progressive jackpot. More particularly, it relates to a progressive jackpot that is available to be played by participants in various casino or cardroom table games.
It has become common practice in gaming establishments to provide a progressive jackpot component in connection with electronic or mechanical gaming devices, such as slot machines, video poker machines or keno machines. Typically a plurality or xe2x80x9cbankxe2x80x9d of machines are electronically interconnected to a common progressive jackpot meter. As gaming tokens are fed into each machine, the amount shown on the jackpot meter progresses incrementally until some lucky player lines up the winning combination, such as three or four 7""s on the game row of a slot machine. In video poker, a Royal Flush normally wins the jackpot, although in some variations, a player must achieve a Royal Flush in an exact order, such as A-K-Q-J-10 from left to right, or in a particular suit, such as Spades. In video keno, a player typically must match 15 out of 15 numbers to win the progressive jackpot.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a progressive jackpot component to typical casino or cardroom table games such as poker or Twenty-One.
It is a feature of the present invention to have each participant in the progressive jackpot component win all or part of the amount shown on the progressive jackpot meter if the participant achieves a particular predetermined playing hand.
It is an advantage of the present invention that when the progressive jackpot component is added to typical table games such as poker or Twenty-One that the players will enjoy these games more and that the amount of play will increase.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus useful in providing the progressive jackpot component to casino or cardroom table games such as poker or Twenty-One.
It is a further feature of the present invention to have a progressive jackpot meter electronically interconnected to one or more gaming tables to allow each player at his playing location to participate in the progressive jackpot component by wagering a gaming token which automatically activates an indicator showing the player""s participation and also automatically increments the progressive jackpot meter.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the apparatus makes it easy for each player to participate in the progressive jackpot component of the game.
The method of the present invention generally involves a typical casino or cardroom game modified to include a progressive jackpot component. During the play of a Twenty-One game, for example, in addition to his normal wager, a player will have the option of making an additional wager that becomes part of, and makes the player eligible to win, the progressive jackpot. If the player""s Twenty-One hand comprises a particular, predetermined arrangement of cards, the player will win all, or part of, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot. This progressive jackpot feature is also adaptable to any other casino or cardroom game such as Draw Poker. Stud Poker, Lo-Ball Poker or Caribbean Stud(trademark) Poker.
The apparatus used to practice the present invention comprises a gaming table, such as those used for Twenty-One or poker, modified with the addition of a coin acceptor that is electronically connected to a progressive jackpot meter. When a player drops a coin into the coin acceptor, a light is activated at the player""s location indicating that he is participating in the progressive jackpot component of the game during that hand. At the same time, a signal from the coin acceptor is sent to the progressive meter to increment the amount shown on the progressive meter. At the conclusion of the play of each hand, the coin acceptor is reset for the next hand. When a player wins all or part of the progressive jackpot, the amount showing on the progressive jackpot meter is reduced by the amount won by the player. Any number of gaming tables can be connected to a single progressive jackpot meter.